In this episode of Cross Lab, hosts Steve Hohman and Olivia Espinosa are joined by barrister and advocacy coach Bibi Badejo.

Watch Bibi cross-examine both Steve and Olivia, who portray a divorced couple where neither party has clean hands. Bibi skillfully challenges each of their stories and their roles in a complex, multi-suit case involving large sums of money, kids and old wounds.

What’s covered in this episode: 

• The foundation you can lay that boxes any witness in—and pays off big time
• A go-to framework for defending your client (even when their actions make zero sense)
• What your listener is really thinking when you’re sticking a witness to the question
• The sneaky way to trap a witness in their own admissions
• How to slice away a witness's opinion from the real evidence

Time Stamps

00:00 What’s Cross Lab?

2:20 The question to ask yourself that steers the judge and jury where you want them

3:14 How to adjust your language for judges and juries—and what juries don't want from you

6:18 A genius ‘common sense’ strategy to defend your client’s actions (even when they don’t make sense)

17:00  Mock Case Overview: Butler vs. Butler

19:38 Bibi’s Cross on Dane Butler: One fact questions that lay the foundation for a big payoff!

38:18 Painting a picture with facts that corner the witness and let their discomfort tell your story.

43:01 How starting with general questions can trap a witness with their own admissions

48:28 What your listener is thinking when you hold a witness to the question

55:26 Cross of Lily: Expertly separating a witness's opinion from the real evidence

1:20:02 Repetition that works for you—no matter what the witness says

Bibi’s website: https://www.theadvocacycoach.com/

The Advocacy Podcast https://www.theadvocacypodcast.com/

To get free resources for your next trial go to HausImprov.com